A Modesto-based meat producer, Valley Meat Company, has recalled a million pounds of ground beef because of a potential E. coli contamination, the NPR health blog Shots reports. The frozen patties and bulk ground beef products were produced in late 2009 and early 2010.

A press release issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says seven people have become ill after eating the beef products. All of the patients had a rare strain of the bacteria, E. coli O157:H7. The potentially deadly bug can cause severe abdominal pain, watery or bloody diarrhea and, in the worst cases, kidney failure.

On the NPR blog, Scott Hensley calculates that 1 million pounds of beef amount to more than 2,300 cows. Most of the meat was sold in California, Texas, Oregon and Arizona, and some was shipped overseas. To distinguish Valley Meat products, look for the USDA inspection mark "EST. 8268". You can find a list of products associated with the recall here. The Valley Meat Company is required to notify its customers of the recall, but the company's website appears to be down currently.